The Slayer, the sleuths and the scoobies
by Mad Kat
Summary: A.U. B/A fic, Angel runs A.I. with a few friends, Buffy & co are visiting...
1. Decorating disasters

Disclaimer: *snort* is this necessary? Hmm, okay, nope, not mine. Buffy and Angel would be having a nice smutty happily-ever-after by now if they were mine. All credit goes to Joss & Co.  
  
A warning to readers: if you haven't read my last story 'The Slayer and the sleuths' this one won't make sense, so if you haven't already read it I suggest you do.  
  
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Very extensive author's notes (Sorry, I know it's boring, I won't do it again.)  
  
Firstly, I have now almost definitely decided to make this a series of about five or six fics, some longish, some pretty short. So if the characters and other stuff I mentioned maybe including doesn't happen in this story - that's why, it'll be in the next one. I think cramming it all in at once would just make for a confusing time - for me anyway, as I can only juggle so many characters and plot ideas at once.  
  
Secondly, I had quite a few responses to my questions about the direction of this fic, a few people weren't totally happy with the proposed inclusion of Spike but far more people wanted him in it than not and I like Spike, so he'll be making an appearance sometime. But before any die-hard B/A fans freak out - This story started as B/A and will end happily for B/A and I can say for sure that Buffy will not be getting romantically entangled with Spike at any point. (I hope Spike haters feel a bit better now!)  
  
Okay, so votes are in and everyone seems okay with an R rating so that's good. Also there were requests for Lorne to be in this story, yeah, I like him too, so I'll probably put the green guy in at some point, along with a whole bunch of other characters that were requested too.  
  
Right then, I've currently got six votes for Willow/Oz (one very insistent), one vote for Faith/Lindsey, one vote for Xander/Anya (also very insistent), one vote for Faith/Xander, four for Willow/Tara, two for Tara just being a friend, one for a W/T/O love triangle, five for Willow/Spike and seven for Faith/Spike. All very close but I think it's clear who will be with who based on my majority vote wins principle.  
  
So, if I don't include a favoured couple in this series of fics I'll probably include them at some point in other stories I plan to write when I'm done with my 'Slayer and the sleuths' stuff. I already have a partially plotted B/A and W/S fic in the works - someday in the distant future I'll be writing that up!  
  
Oh and for much of the story the new R rating won't come into play too much (or at least I don't think it will, but that might be my inability to rate things properly) it's more of an erring on the side of caution thing and is really meant for a few of the later chapters.  
  
And finally, I have to say that unfortunately I probably won't be able to update quite as regularly as I did last time because I've got a lot of other stuff going on at the moment but I'll do my best so the gaps between postings shouldn't be too big.  
  
Well, here we go again, it's finally time for me to shut up. Here's chapter one of my second story - I hope you all like it!  
  
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"This is so good of you to do this Angel," purred Buffy as she lovingly wrapped her arms around him and rubbed her face against his paint- splattered shoulder.  
  
Angel smiled down at her and dropped a gentle kiss onto her hair. "Its pretty selfish though, I'm motivated by the prospect of you and your friends coming to stay regularly, with heavy emphasis on the you part."  
  
"Yeah but still, letting them all loose in your home to decorate bedrooms as they choose, and actually helping Xander drown his chosen ceiling with navy-blue paint so he can have tiny neon stars stuck on it is probably beyond the call of good boyfriendly duty."  
  
"Yeah, and because of it I'm now the only vampire in the world with a soul and blue polka-dots."  
  
Buffy beamed encouragingly, "We've only been together four days and already you're joking about your vampiness, I'm mucho impressed." She squeezed harder for emphasis.  
  
Angel grinned back despite the over-enthusiastic pressure on his ribcage, "I guess I'm finally convinced that your argument is the right one and that what I am doesn't really bother anyone here."  
  
"And shouldn't bother you either," Buffy finished firmly, "I wouldn't fall in love with any less than the best." She teased.  
  
Angel dropped the roller he held into the plastic tray and embraced her; eagerly Buffy raised her face for his kiss.  
  
Angel's mouth gently brushed hers, his cool lips sending tingles of anticipation down her spine, before he teasingly nipped at her lower lip. With a soft moan Buffy stretched her fingers up and twined them into his soft, spiky hair, coaxing him to deepen the kiss between them. He obliged with a passion that took her breath away and weakened her knees. As Buffy's knees turned to water she lurched against him, knocking him back against the wall. Now she was free to lean against his hard body and ravage his mouth as much as she pleased. Angel held her against him revelling in the pressure of her warm lips and heated tongue as she kissed him hungrily. One hand clasped her waist, the other tangled lightly in her hair as he held her tightly and kissed her deeply, savouring the moment.  
  
Buffy squirmed against him, her breasts rubbing his chest through their clothes; it was a sensation that never made Angel feel particularly gentlemanly. Abandoning his gentle grip on her hair and firm hold on her waist he braced himself to inch lower on the wall so she was almost laid on him and then his hands wandered back onto her body and lower until he helplessly gripped her ass and tugged her closer. Buffy whimpered and squirmed again as she still tried impossibly to get closer and kiss him harder.  
  
Then they were abruptly yanked from their passionate haze when a series of loud crashes echoed from further down the hall, followed by twin roars of "You bloody pillock!"  
  
Buffy and Angel froze for a moment, still locked together and slightly dazed by the interruption and then cringed, they weren't exactly being private about their relationship because the door was wide open, that's why the shouts and crashes had been so clear. They straightened up and reluctantly withdrew from each other a little.  
  
"I think Giles is mad." Buffy mumbled breathlessly.  
  
"And Wes," agreed Angel a little shakily, "I'm almost afraid to go and see why." He shook his head, "Why is it that Brits are so restrained most of the time and then go off like that at random?"  
  
Buffy shrugged as she attempted to tidy her hair, "Scary eternal mystery."  
  
Angel brushed a soft kiss on her cheek and then made his way to the door through the maze of sheets and paint tins and poked his head out as Buffy struggled to contain a squeak of horror. Her gaze ticked from the wall to Angel's rear view and back again.  
  
As he was about to step into the hallway Buffy dashed over and pulled him back, "Uh, Angel, I don't think the paint was dry on the walls just yet. Your back is kind of um, white."  
  
Angel promptly twisted round trying to see and groaned when he spotted large patches of white paint on his black vest. "There shouldn't even be paint on that wall yet, because I haven't finished doing the ceiling."  
  
Buffy flashed a weak grin. "I guess Xander got ahead of himself with the base coat."  
  
Angel closed his eyes and prayed for the strength to not strangle Xander before he stepped into the corridor with a dignity he didn't currently feel to find out who and what had interrupted his very enjoyable moment with his beautiful girlfriend.  
  
Outside the room Willow and Oz had chosen as their own a disaster seemed to be in progress. Buffy and Angel stood a few yards away and swept their eyes over the incredible mess.  
  
A sheepish Xander stood nearby.  
  
A partially assembled flat pack wardrobe lay in the hallway liberally splattered with tasteful cream paint chosen for the walls of the room, it seemed that Giles and Wesley had been busily putting it together as the budget didn't quite run to ready made furniture when the paint had somehow flown through the doorway. Wesley had been lucky enough to escape most of the splash but had cream coloured freckles on the upper part of his face and hair, Giles however was thickly coated and dripping. He was somehow managing to glare at Xander even through the paint smeared on his glasses.  
  
Buffy giggled from behind him and Angel tried to control his chuckles. Willow, Anya, Oz and Fred stood clustered in the doorway, all clutching paintbrushes and watching the scene with equal amusement.  
  
Angel raised a questioning eyebrow at Xander.  
  
"I tripped on a tin." Xander explained defensively, "I was carrying sodas and donuts at the time and couldn't stop myself from falling on another tin."  
  
"And it just sort of sprouted wings and flew through the door." Willow agreed shaking with barely suppressed laughter.  
  
Angel glanced round at Buffy who grinned at him, her eyes sparkling with merriment.  
  
"It was an accident." Xander assured them all. "I'm really sorry."  
  
Angel sighed, "If we wipe it off quickly the wardrobe might be saveable, if not Willow and Oz will just have to think of a color they want to paint it instead of having plain wood. Giles and Wes why don't you go try to clean up while Xander gets a few cloths and starts scrubbing?"  
  
Everyone nodded in agreement and Giles, Wesley and Xander moved off.  
  
Buffy stepped around Angel and loosely linked her arms around his waist, "Well done, I think a fight might've been about to kick off then." She whispered.  
  
Angel gazed into her eyes, relishing her praise even if it was for such a little thing.  
  
Then chuckles came from behind them and they both looked up in puzzlement.  
  
"Oh Buffy?" said Anya.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"You've got Angel's painty handprints on your butt!"  
  
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* (Comments, compliments and criticism are always gratefully received!) 


	2. Full Moon soup

"So guys and gals, what are we having for dinner tonight? Pizza? Chinese?" Xander asked as he rifled through the collection of take-out menus piled by the kitchen phone.  
  
"I'm all pizza-ed out Xand," said Buffy with a grimace. "I think I'll start sprouting pineapple chunks from my ears if I eat anymore this week."  
  
Giles and Wesley nodded in unison, "Quite." Murmured Giles.  
  
"But Angel makes the best hamburgers in the whole world!" she enthused, beaming at her boyfriend.  
  
Angel looked embarrassed as Wesley and Giles chuckled.  
  
Xander however was gleeful, "Alright dead boy! Now we're talking! Add a few boxes of fries and we have a meal."  
  
"No!" Willow stuttered suddenly, "We should have soup! Chicken and stars, yummy! I like soup!"  
  
"Uh, Will, no offense intended but we're not on our sickbeds here and if you compare the juicy goodness of my Angel's hamburgers to chicken- flavoured water from a tin there is no contest!"  
  
Angel sank lower in his chair.  
  
"But, Oz." Whimpered Willow. "He hates soup and loves hamburgers and I thought with his wolfie stuff being on tonight we shouldn't make him feel left out of all that meaty goodness."  
  
Xander snorted incredulously and dramatically flounced across the kitchen to fling open the refrigerator door, where he gestured inside at a huge hunk of meat, "Will, Oz does not miss out on the meaty goodness, he's getting half a cow to himself!"  
  
"I guess." Willow conceded in a small voice.  
  
Angel leant forward slightly to smile at Willow; he really liked this girl she was so sweet, intelligent and thoughtful that she reminded him a little of his long dead sister, even the hair was similar. He shook off thoughts of Kathy and managed to catch Willow's eye. "How about when he's himself in a couple of nights we have them again, as it's all I can cook we'll probably be having them a lot as no-one else seems to be able to cook anything around here."  
  
Willow gave him a shy smile, "Thanks Angel."  
  
"Hey!" Said Xander indignantly. "I cook."  
  
Buffy grinned, "No Xander, you open packaging and occasionally toast marshmallows, that is not cooking."  
  
Just then Fred and Gunn sauntered in hand in hand, "Hey Angel, Guys. What's for dinner?"  
  
Giles sighed, "I think the words dinner and cooking are a bit taboo around here at the moment."  
  
"Hamburgers," Angel said firmly, beginning to pull utensils and ingredients out of cupboards."  
  
"Again?" asked Fred.  
  
"Yes again." Angel said wearily, and then as he sliced onions he quietly muttered, "I really need to extend my repertoire." 


	3. Sparring partners

"You sure you wanna do this?" Angel questioned his girlfriend as she stripped off her sweatshirt to reveal a sports-bra.  
  
"Absolutely," Buffy replied as she tugged at his shirt, implying he should remove it. "Show me what you got big fella."  
  
Angel sighed as he shrugged off his shirt and kicked off his boots, tossing them into the corner of the room. He was fast learning that arguing with Buffy when she had made up her mind was a pretty pointless process. Now he just had to try not to hurt her.  
  
Buffy was stretching when he looked at her next, fingertips on her toes, lycra-clad bottom waggling in the air. Angel ground his teeth as he took in that view, this sort of thing was enough to try the patience of a saint, and a saint he most certainly wasn't.  
  
Does she even know what she's doing? He wondered frantically as he did a few stretches of his own. They hadn't actually talked about any past lovers but that didn't mean there weren't any. Much as he didn't like to think about it, Buffy was eighteen and a half, her friends shared bedrooms with their lovers so why should she not have had a lover or lovers too?  
  
But there was an innocence about her, it was possible that she had no clue that waving her delectably rounded rear end in the air was making him think thoughts that would fit quite well into the movie they had inadvertently watched!  
  
"Hey Mr thoughtful," she teased, gently poking him in the ribs with her now gloved hands, "Are we gonna fight or not?"  
  
Angel sighed and reached for his own gloves, "I guess we are."  
  
The two squared up, gloves raised, circling one another. They eyed each other, seeking weakness until Buffy eventually feinted towards Angel. He blocked easily and they fell apart, circling again.  
  
"Are you sure this is wise?" Wesley murmured to Giles as they stood watching through the half-open door of Angel's training room.  
  
Giles shook his head, "No, but they are fairly evenly matched and if them sparring together will save you and me a few bruises than I'm all for it. They both care too much to cause serious damage to each other."  
  
"I suppose you're right, and if this doesn't work out we haven't lost anything."  
  
"Except a days worth of bruises apiece. To my mind it's a win-win situation."  
  
Then they collectively winced as Angel flew across the room to crash into the lightly padded wall.  
  
"Ooh, sorry." They heard Buffy mutter before Angel leapt to his feet, charged and knocked her to the floor with a speedy sweep of his foot as he faked a punch at her jaw.  
  
A split second later Buffy was upright again, and on her way up she had somehow managed to kick Angel over again and promptly pounced on him only to have his foot planted in her midriff and to find herself sailing through the air.  
  
Giles and Wesley watched nervously as Buffy and Angel did battle, they noticed eventually that both were pulling their punches a little and relaxed in relief, even as the fight raged harder and faster than anything either of them could have kept up with.  
  
"I think perhaps a cup of tea," Wesley mused "They don't seem to be in any danger of tunnelling each other through the walls."  
  
"Yes quite, and I really would like your opinion on a scroll I acquired recently, it's awfully vague, but ancient and really quite fascinating."  
  
The two Englishmen strolled away contentedly, the matter of training resolved and the prospect of tea and musty parchment ahead of them.  
  
Buffy and Angel however were on a mission, the predatorial instinct in both of them was thoroughly awakened and although both were being somewhat more gentle than they could be, both were determined fight impressively.  
  
Eventually after both of them were beginning to tire slightly Angel pulled off a stunning piece of trick footwork enabling him to turn a throw of Buffy's back against her to toss her to the floor and follow her down where he applied his superior body weight to holding her there.  
  
Buffy shuffled and humped but was unable to push Angel away. "That was a nice move, gotta learn me that," she puffed. But kept wriggling, determined to evade her boyfriend's grasp. She was about to admit defeat when her flailing hand rubbed along his side and he shuddered. Never slow off the mark at detecting weakness she deliberately tickled Angel until his grip loosened enough to get her other arm free. In seconds she had reversed their positions and sat astride him with a smug smile on her face.  
  
"Hey! No fair." Complained Angel laughingly.  
  
Buffy smirked, "One of the first thing's Giles ever taught me is to try absolutely anything if you're in a sticky situation, I think tickling comes under anything don't you? My old watcher Merrick was all for only teaching the traditional moves but Giles said if tickling, scratching or even hair pulling works then that's just fine. Except, 'Never discount a possible weapon or manoeuvre,' was how he put it."  
  
Angel grinned, "Giles is a very smart man."  
  
Buffy sat up smiling at him, "So wanna call it a day and go take a shower?"  
  
She took stock of their position and blushed, "I mean we should go to our own rooms and shower separately and then meet again in the den before we grab lunch." She babbled, removing suddenly very sweaty fingers from his bare chest.  
  
Angel propped himself up on his elbows and noted the faint blush. Scratch thoughts of former lovers earlier; Buffy really was an innocent. He tried not to grin stupidly at the thought of someday maybe being her first and tried to force his treacherous body not to respond to the heat of her butt pressed to his groin. Realizing it was a battle he wasn't going to win he hastily stood up holding her and then gently set her feet back on the floor praying she hadn't felt anything.  
  
Buffy hugged him gently and reached up to give him a sweet kiss, "So say we take half an hour and we can hang out then?"  
  
Angel nodded his agreement and kissed her forehead, mentally begging her not to look down or press herself too close. "See you in thirty."  
  
Buffy nodded and skipped out of the room with just one last kiss, she didn't look back, much to Angel's relief.  
  
He gathered up his clothes and walked through to his apartment, he needed to get a grip on his hormones or in no time at all he'd be behaving with less finesse than a gropy teenage boy on his first date. 


	4. Black Sun

Buffy slumped in the shower cubicle letting cool water trickle over her still warm face. She had been so intent on winning their fight and then so pleased to have sort of won that she hadn't properly taken in their compromising position. It was all very good in theory and daydreams but the reality was slightly scary. Her fevered imagination had even conjured up the sensation of that part of Angel pressing hard against her as she sat on him. She had it so bad for him and had no idea what to do about it. She'd ask Willow what to do if she didn't already know that her red-haired buddy would just smile and sigh over her own brand new lover and tell her that when the time was right it would just happen naturally. Helpful advice - not!  
  
As for Xander he would probably just explode over his Buffster wanting to do ooky things with the dead dude! Although Xander and Angel got along quite well, albeit with a lot of fairly good natured ribbing she still knew Xander didn't quite understand her love-affair with Angel and found the idea of her kissing what was essentially a corpse distinctly weird and if she was mad enough to talk to the others Oz would probably just give her a deep quote about destiny, Giles would polish his glasses clean away and stutter with embarrassment and as for Anya! Buffy cringed at the very idea of the sort of input she would receive from Anya. Nope, she'd just have to find her own way with the assistance of 'Cosmopolitan' when she and Angel went further.  
  
Miserably she lathered her hair, Angel was over two and a half centuries old if you counted his human years too and that meant a whole lot of dating experience - and more. Was a clueless teenage virgin really going to excite him? She rinsed quickly not really wanting to dwell on that. Their kisses seemed to blow him away as much as they did her, but kissing was something she did have some practice at. She just had to focus on the fact that he loved her, and she loved him, after all that had to count big right? Maybe he'd be able to overlook her ineptitude in the name of true love. After all, everyone except nuns had a first time at some point.  
  
She fumbled for a towel to blot her face and then wrapping it around herself stepped out into the bathroom, wet hair sticking uncomfortably to her neck and shoulders. Haphazardly she twisted it up into an untidy knot and had just set about cleansing streaks of eye makeup from her face when a knock sounded on the bathroom door. With a frown she swung it open and faced a still half naked Angel. She gulped and clutched the towel tighter, licking her lips in nervous appreciation, flushing at the memory of her thoughts of moments earlier, "Um, Hi Angel, am I late?"  
  
He shook his head as he gently gripped her elbow and drew her towards the window, before she could stop him he had opened the shade and they stared out into the darkness of the day.  
  
"The sun went black a few minutes ago," he told her gravely, "The others are already hitting the books."  
  
Buffy shook her head in disbelief, "I'll get dressed and be right down."  
  
He nodded assent and left her with a brief kiss.  
  
Buffy flew into action, pulling clothes from her wardrobe. Not bothering to dry herself properly she shimmied into a denim skirt and red tank top before she glanced in the mirror, caught a glimpse of her hair and squawked in horror, Angel had seen her with that rats nest perched on top of her head! Quickly she rubbed her hair with the towel and then combed the damp strands back, packing it away neatly in a large clip. With a speedy dash of mascara and her feet jammed hastily into chunky sandals she sprinted from the room. 


	5. Dark times

Thank you very much to everyone who has reviewed, it's very good that you like it, cos there's plenty more to come! Two chapters for ya this time as I really won't have time for more this week - so no updates until Friday, sorry, but I did warn ya I wouldn't be posting quite as often. (There should be a new chapter pretty much every other day after that though.)  
  
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Buffy pounded downstairs and entered the huge Hyperion library at a run. Giles, Wesley and a now clothed Angel were assembling tidy piles of books. Willow and Oz sat at the two computers tapping furiously as they surfed the net seeking relevant information. Fred, Xander and Anya were already seated in front of heaps of books while Gunn cradled the telephone, apparently attempting to summon Doyle and Cordelia back to the hotel from their five day long reunion 'date'. He was unsuccessful and wound up threatening Cordelia's answering service.  
  
"So, any nice English books with lots of pictures for me?" Buffy half- kidded as she moved towards Angel.  
  
He managed a cute half smile for her and handed her a small stack of books and followed her to the table with a pile of his own.  
  
The gang sat in near silence for three hours as they researched, only the rustle of snack wrappers, the click of keys and the thud of abandoned books could be heard.  
  
Until Xander began making a noise like an excited monkey in a banana tree which brought him to everyone's attention.  
  
"Anything?" Giles said hopefully as he stretched out his hand for the heavy tome Xander held.  
  
"Yeah, it all fits, listen up, 'and the sun shall burn black, day shall be as if night, a summer's day will be without light. The light warrior and the dark will unite, to save another world and bring their might, to end a long and terrible plight. Only then will the dark times be vanquished.'  
  
Giles gently tugged the book from Xander's fingers and scanned the page for himself,  
  
"Hmm, our writer was certainly no poet but it does seem clear enough. Though more details would have been very welcome." Murmured Buffy.  
  
Giles frowned, "Well actually it's not that clear, we cannot be sure that this fellow is actually referring to this occasion, after all the sun has gone black before and will probably go black again."  
  
Buffy goggled at Giles, "Well, yeah with an eclipse thingy for like a few minutes at the Mayor's ascension but this is showing no signs of going away."  
  
"Well, I'm not sure we should jump to conclusions and in any case we now need to know about this other world that needs saving in order to regain our own sunlight." Wesley inserted smoothly.  
  
For the past minute Xander had been twitching frantically, clearly dying to interrupt.  
  
"Yes Xander?" Asked Giles finally.  
  
"The book is in two sections, one with prophecies that could just happen whenever and another section of them that are due at fairly specific times and that prophecy is right near the end of the twentieth century chapter. I'd say that clinches things."  
  
Giles hastily flipped over a few pages before he slowly nodded his head. "Yes I suppose it is unlikely that in view of this that there is another explanation. Now we just have to discover the meaning of this and then how to implement it." 


	6. Conclusions

Xander snorted as he stared at the television screen, an emergency news report was urging civilians not to panic and an expert was busily blaming a large cloud of minute rock particles in space for the unexpected eclipse.  
  
"Interesting the explanations that can be conjured up to explain all this mystical crap." Muttered Gunn as he diverted his attention from his book to watch the news report.  
  
"Humans are experts at denial." Agreed Giles, taking a swig of tea.  
  
Buffy scowled irritably as she tossed aside yet another unhelpful volume, "Maybe it really is a humongous dust bunny drifting about up there and we're all wasting our time."  
  
Anya's head jerked up at the mention of the word bunny, "Don't say that word!"  
  
The Angel investigations crew looked baffled.  
  
"Anya finds b-u-n-n-y-s a very scary thing," Xander explained.  
  
"Uh huh, because they're so little and furry and dangerous." Agreed Gunn with a teasing grin.  
  
Xander shrugged, "My mom is scared of cockroaches, they aren't exactly dangerous either. You can't rationalize fear."  
  
Buffy grinned, "Wow, Xander. That was a bit deep, are you coming down with something?"  
  
"Bunnies are evil." Anya blurted incongruously and loudly as Xander opened his mouth to defend himself against Buffy's teasing.  
  
Angel grinned as he watched Giles and Wesley twitching at the interruption to their research. What the hell, he might be the second oldest person present but he wasn't the most mature. "Actually, I'm with Anya, my sister had a pet rabbit when we were kids and it used to bite really nastily, even now I've still got scars from bite marks on my ankles!"  
  
Anya beamed triumphantly even as she shuddered, "You see!"  
  
"Makes a change for you to be the one with bite marks huh?" Joked Xander.  
  
Angel felt Buffy draw in a deep shocked breath, ready to defend him he felt sure but the grin on Xander's face was completely without malice so he just grinned back, "Maybe it was a vampire bunny."  
  
"Yeah, like that book, 'Bunnicula' I think it was," agreed Oz, paying full attention for the first time.  
  
"That was such a cool book!" Chirped Willow snuggling against him, "The cat tried to kill him with a steak of the edible variety but they ended up as friends."  
  
"Cats would eat bunnies." Anya warned darkly with great enthusiasm.  
  
As Willow squeaked in horror at the idea of the poor confused vampire bunny being slaughtered by a cat Giles cleared his throat loudly. "As fascinating as this conversation undoubtedly is, could we please concentrate on the books to hand, not ones about demonic you-know-whats."  
  
There was some shuffling in seats and muffled groans at this but everyone obediently bent over their books again.  
  
Silence reigned for a few moments until Angel pushed his chair back with a crash making everyone start nervously, "Lorne." He muttered to Wesley, slightly embarrassed by the effect he had had on the gathering.  
  
Wesley eyed him silently for a moment before nodding, "You're right, he knows something about almost everything in this town. We should talk to him."  
  
Angel shook his head as the Scooby gang began drifting away from books and chairs looking happier at the thought of non-book related information gathering. "No, just me, in case Lorne doesn't have anything for me you should all keep looking."  
  
Angel swept his coat from the stand and shrugged into it as a disappointed Xander and Anya coiled back into their seats, Buffy however was still right beside him. "I should come too, you know, as back up."  
  
Angel half smiled down at her, there was no way he could let her come along. "I'm not going to fight, just to uh, chat. I won't be long, Caritas isn't far."  
  
"Caritas?"  
  
"Lorne's club."  
  
"Well, I should still come, safety in numbers and all, just because you're not looking for a fight it doesn't mean you won't find one."  
  
Angel frowned, he had been ready to refuse and simply stride from the room but Buffy was pouting adorably and peeping appealingly at him from under lowered lashes.  
  
Giles smirked behind his book as he watched his slayer, he'd fallen victim to that manoeuvre himself a few times and he watched amusedly as the broody, uncompromising vampire visibly crumbled under Buffy's best persuasive display of cuteness.  
  
Angel sighed, so much for being a tough guy. "Okay, grab your jacket, lets go."  
  
Buffy squealed with delight and hooked her own jacket from the stand before grabbing her boyfriend's hand and trotting out of the library beside him.  
  
Xander scowled around a whole Twinkie from his position under an upside- down copy of a huge leather bound demonic dimension directory, "Can I date Angel too?" he asked rhetorically as he sprayed Twinkie crumbs across the table. "How come Buffy gets to go sweeping off to a club with her toothy honey while the rest of us grovel in mounds of dusty books?"  
  
"You have me!" Anya told him indignantly. "How can you entertain thoughts of Angel? I am over seven hundred years older than him and therefore am far better at sex!"  
  
Gunn and his two remaining Angel Investigations colleagues hooted with laughter, still unused to Anya's antics.  
  
Oz and Willow smiled affectionately before returning to their websites.  
  
Giles merely sighed and reached over to turn Xander's book upright as he tried to smother Anya's outrage with a crumby kiss, hopefully this Lorne fellow was as useful as Angel and Wesley deemed him, or this was going to be a very long and trying night. 


	7. Warlock

Thank you to everyone who reviewed.  
  
Somebody asked why this fic is rated R, admittedly at the moment it isn't R material but I rated it R for two reasons - firstly because I like to play safe and not risk my story being taken down if I wander off the PG path a little and secondly because a few later chapters will be worthy of the R rating. Personally I think it would suck to start reading something you quite like and then find the rating upped to something you don't wanna read. So that's why!  
  
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"Ah, Angel cakes, just the hunk of vampire I was needing to see!"  
  
Angel winced as his green demon friend swaggered over to the bar, resplendent in a pinkish purple silk suit with large sparkly buttons. Even his shoes twinkled and winked with the same shimmering silk and fine crystals.  
  
Buffy muffled a giggle as she took in her conservative sweetie's informer pal, Angel had warned her on their way through the sewers that Lorne was a green skinned demon so that wasn't a shocker. Not that she would've noticed the greenness under all that gleaming fuchsia material if she hadn't been warned!  
  
"And a lovely lady with you too big fella; Hello doll, it's a real pleasure to meet you."  
  
"Hey Lorne." Buffy replied with a wide smile.  
  
"Now what's a nice little thing like you doing with big and broody hmm?"  
  
Buffy linked an arm through Angel's and stood on tiptoe to press a kiss to his taut jaw line, "He's my boyfriend."  
  
"Ah, yes, Doyle's little sister, I saw a blonde warrior as part of our boy's destiny but didn't make the connection until just now, there's no resemblance you know."  
  
"Between me and Doyle? I would hope not!" said Buffy, "Destiny?" she added eagerly as an afterthought, being Angel's destiny was definitely something she could handle, though she was still a little offended that he hadn't wanted her to tag along on this trip.  
  
"Could we just get this over with please Lorne," begged Angel, edging towards the stage.  
  
Lorne grinned, "No shared shower time for you two just yet I take it?"  
  
Angel just glared at Lorne while Buffy's face began glowing pinkly again at the reminder of the still blush-worthy memories from earlier in the day.  
  
"Now then sugar, I'm just teasing, there's no need for you to start yowling and making my ears bleed onto the shattered remnants of my cocktail glass, I know just why you're here and I have just the man you need to talk to."  
  
"Yowling?" echoed Buffy as Lorne bustled across the room with Angel in hot- pursuit, carefully ignoring her query. She followed them, there was a mystery here and she was going to get to the bottom of it. Once they met this guy, got his information and saved the world that was.  
  
A small paunchy man with a sad bloodhound face slumped in a corner booth nursing an almost empty bottle of beer, the label shredded into the overflowing ashtray in front of him. He raised drooping bloodshot eyes at their approach, flicked his gaze over each of them and returned to eyeing his beer.  
  
Buffy was not impressed and to judge by the faint curl of his lip, neither was Angel. Now they were closer Buffy could smell unwashed hair overlaid strongly with stale booze. The smell was killing her nose, so poor Angel's stronger senses had to be screaming.  
  
Lorne however was as unperturbed as ever, he waved a graceful hand expansively and announced, "Merlin please meet Buffy and Angel, Buffy and Angel this is Merlin, the one who will be helping you."  
  
"The Merlin?" Buffy asked with raised eyebrows.  
  
The little man tugged on his pants and puffed out his chest importantly, "Well, not the Merlin but we are related, Merlin is sort of a family name."  
  
"Ambitious mother," sniffed Lorne so quietly that only supernatural ears could hear.  
  
Buffy tried not to smirk but ended up lurking back out of sight behind Angel's bulk, having such a big, muscular boyfriend was good for purposes beyond drooling and bag carrying she discovered as she struggled to gain control of her features again. He was great to hide behind too.  
  
"Merlin here will be able to assist you with your journey to Notretsehc, however unless you win the battle and are in the right place at the right time I don't think he'll be able to get you home, so make sure you win okay kiddies? Terminal darkness may be good for my business but it plays havoc with my tan."  
  
Angel was puzzled, "Lorne, you don't tan."  
  
Lorne rolled his eyes, "What, just because you don't tan well, nobody else can either? Of course I tan silly, do you think I was always this gorgeous vibrant shade? I was a sickly mint colour once upon a time, it's California darling, everybody tans."  
  
"Ahem," Merlin had finished his beer and was wriggling his belly out from under the tabletop.  
  
"We came through the sewers," Buffy offered shrilly, "Just in case the sun reappeared suddenly and crispy fried Angel."  
  
"I've got a car," grunted Merlin, " and I'm not wandering through any sewers for nobody."  
  
"Well, Lorne can go with you to show you the way, Angel and I will head back to the Hyperion through the sewers. Okay?" Buffy announced quickly.  
  
Nobody seemed inclined to argue in the split second she allowed them so she snagged Angel's sleeve and hauled him unresisting, towards the sewer access. 


	8. The Rabbit Hole

Thank you to everyone who is reading and reviewing. You guys rock!  
  
Lucky for everyone who likes this fic it has been too hot here to do anything active today (like shopping as was planned) so this is a nice long chapter, I probably should have broken it up into two but I liked it better as one.  
  
I do have a bit of a problem though, some reviewers want lots of mushy B/A romance and smuttiness and others want more action and humor involving the whole team. I am trying hard to get the balance right so everyone will like it but I must admit that I am a better romance/smut writer than an action/humor writer. If you check the other two fics I have written besides 'The slayer and the sleuths' you will see that they are pretty much pure B/A mush. So please remember when things get too fluffy that first and foremost I do write about the B/A ship - not just Buffy stories in which Buffy happens to be dating Angel.  
  
I will try to keep it at the same level as the last one though and I promise that this won't completely disintegrate into obscene levels of fluffiness!  
  
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"Ugh, what a stink." Mumbled Buffy as they picked their way back through the sewers.  
  
"It is a sewer Buffy."  
  
"No, I meant Merlin."  
  
"Oh, him. I wonder where Lorne got him from."  
  
"I don't care as long as he puts him back - and soon."  
  
Angel chuckled, "Lorne knows his stuff, if he says Merlin can help us then he can."  
  
"Yeah by sending us on a probable one way trip to someplace with a seriously funky name, what was it again?"  
  
"Notretsehc. I think it was."  
  
"See, now that's another thing I have a problem with. Why Notre-whatsit? What's wrong with a name like earth? And another thing; why is this stupid place connected to us? If it looked after itself I wouldn't have to be bothered." Ranted Buffy as she slithered along the sewer tunnel.  
  
"You're just mad because shopping, snuggling and hanging out has been cancelled in favour of world save-age." Teased Angel as he caught up with her and wrapped an arm around her before sweeping her into his arms and carrying her over a particularly sludgy area.  
  
"Hmmpff." Buffy wrinkled her nose at him and held on tight, a free trip through the sewers in Angel's arms wasn't a bad thing so she wasn't going to complain, although her rush this morning meant she hadn't exactly dressed for sewer trips and being carried and Angel's hand was now dangerously high up on her exposed thighs- and her thinking bad thoughts was not going to help anybody.  
  
'But if his hand was two or three inches higher-' whispered the naughty little voice in her head. Buffy ordered it to be quiet but it didn't listen and his hair was soo nice and soft and she could just twiddle it very satisfyingly from where her hands were clasped around his neck and his ear was within reach too-, Buffy firmly clamped down on a strong desire to nibble.  
  
"Are you alright?" murmured Angel with a note of concern in his rich voice. His girlfriend had been staring crazily into space and wriggling slightly from time to time. "Uh, Buffy?"  
  
"Huh? Yeah! What?" she stared at Angel wide-eyed.  
  
"I said, are you okay, you zoned out there for a minute."  
  
Buffy gave a loud false squawk of laughter, which made him raise his eyebrows at her.  
  
"Oh, look we're back at the Hyperion." Buffy chirped as Angel set her back on her feet shaking his head and reached up to swing the trapdoor open that led to the basement and boosted Buffy through. When he followed she pointed at the nearby drier and began to babble, "Hey, you have a laundry room. I didn't know there was a laundry room. You even have different fabric conditioners. I like the pink one, can I use that when I do my washing?"  
  
"Sure, Buffy-"  
  
"Oh and a mat for shoes!"  
  
She tugged off her slightly sewer coated sandals and dropped them on the mat provided for the purpose by Cordelia the neat-freak. Angel followed suit, Cordelia had long ago got tired of sewer being tramped over nice carpets and polished floors and had given orders about removal or cleaning of sewer coated footwear that nobody dared to disobey. They both added their jackets to the pegs near the sewer exit as Buffy babbled, "I think it might be a good idea to keep a jacket here so we can grab one when we go out by sewer. Can I?"  
  
"Of course you can, Buffy why are you acting so odd?"  
  
Rats, there was no distracting Angel Buffy thought crossly, she'd only succeeded in acting like a giant freak.  
  
"No reason, we should go upstairs now. Lorne and stinker should be here by now."  
  
Angel smirked slightly as he closed the trap door, "Stinker." He muttered shaking his head, "You know he is a wizard, or more probably a warlock, he might be able to turn you into a slimy warty toad or something so I probably wouldn't introduce him like that to the others."  
  
"But I've got my Willow the Wicca, if he turned me into a toad she'd be able to change me back again."  
  
Angel raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Okay, even if she turned me back I don't think I'd enjoy the wait sitting around eating flies and actually yeah, she'd probably just blow me up into itty bitty toady pieces. Point taken. Merlin it is." She marched towards the door with Angel close behind her.  
  
She reached for the handle and yanked on it but the door didn't budge and she found herself carried backwards by the force of her tug, slammed into Angel and both of them flailed around for a moment before they crashed to the floor in a tangled heap. Buffy propped herself up on her elbow and examined the door handle that dangled uselessly from her fingertips, "I think the door must be bolted." She said lamely as she turned her head to squint at Angel sprawled on the floor beneath her.  
  
His chest shook as he struggled not to laugh, "I guess we're stuck in the basement then!"  
  
Buffy grinned at him, "What if the world ended because we got locked in a basement!"  
  
Angel's face suddenly got serious.  
  
"Angel I was kidding!" giggled Buffy, "we do have the trapdoor if we had to go the long way round and they do know we're here after all, they'll show up to let us out and poke fun at us in a minute unless we break out first."  
  
"I guess, but we can't get out that door, its pretty much demon proof, it looks innocent but is actually reinforced to keep unwelcome demons out of the Hyperion unless they walk in the front doors where we can see them."  
  
"Very smart." Buffy approved. "However, we do now have to sit on our butts and wait to be mocked or start hiking for the next sewer entry now."  
  
Angel shrugged, "I seem to already be on my butt."  
  
Buffy mock-glared at him before she curled herself up into his lap, "works for me."  
  
As Buffy comfortably arranged herself Angel spoke up in a rather strangled voice, "Do you think maybe we should go check for the nearest sewer access, I mean, they might start to worry about us and not think to check the door."  
  
Buffy shrugged and nestled closer against his chest, pillowing her face on the nearest broad shoulder. "I have faith that they will figure things out, or possibly we should give them a few minutes and then go walkabout."  
  
Angel nodded stiffly and wrapped his arms around her; if she stayed still he could handle this just fine. But being Buffy she promptly twisted round, raising her face for a kiss, and as far as Angel was concerned Buffy was irresistible.  
  
Moments later the gentle, tender kiss Angel had intended had veered out of control. Buffy had scrambled around to wrap her legs around his waist as he sat on the floor his legs stretched out in front of him. She had kissed his mouth, his jaw and throat and then her blunt little teeth nipped his earlobe, her hot breath puffing in his ear. This combined with the heat of her exposed skin and the thundering of her heart was an unbearable turn-on.  
  
He lifted her slightly so her weight was on her knees and not his lap and pressed her closer to his chest. She went where he pulled her and made no attempt to sit back down - something for which Angel was grateful.  
  
Buffy was in heaven, even though she was kneeling on a hard, cold floor she had Angel right where she wanted him and to judge by the stifled groan he had made when she nipped his ear he was liking it as much as she was. Gaining courage she tugged on a few buttons of his shirt exposing the top of his chest, she stroked her fingers over the smooth skin as she returned to kissing his mouth.  
  
She'd seen the whole of his chest before and touched it too but on that occasion she'd been too busy trying to kick his very nice butt to pay that much attention in that way and somehow Angel half-naked and kicking her ass wasn't as sexy as almost fully clothed Angel with just a triangle of his lovely chest exposed and right under her exploring fingertips.  
  
Buffy swirled her tongue down Angel's neck and felt him shiver.  
  
His didn't loosen his death grip on her and he didn't stop kissing her shoulder for more than a second but he managed to mumble, "Uh, Buffy, maybe we should, ah."  
  
Buffy licked lower until she found his nipple, for a second she hesitated and then she licked that too, and unless Cosmo was lying-  
  
Angel gasped and his fingers clenched in her hair holding her where she was before he loosened his grip a second later and mumbled an apology.  
  
Buffy ignored him with a small grin to herself and moved back to his lips to silence any further argument.  
  
Angel was caught between Heaven and Hell, he was loving everything Buffy was doing but it was a sweet torture that he couldn't really do anything back without worrying that he was overstepping some invisible boundary. He didn't know how much would be too much, or would nothing be too much? A little devil asked. Angel felt sure that voice would be best ignored! Though maybe she wanted more? Angel sighed inwardly; a little communication before they got into a position like this again might be a very good idea. He was so out of touch with normal dating that he was probably missing signals all over the place.  
  
He glanced down as Buffy moved back to kissing his jaw and ear, after all how many girls who definitely didn't want more than kissing straddled your lap wearing a very small skirt?  
  
Buffy caught her breath as she felt Angel's hands leave her waist and neck where they had so firmly been clamped, he slid his hands over her upper back, lightly stroking the expanse of skin exposed by her strappy top, then his hands followed the contours of her body, sliding down her sides, his thumbs a mere inch from her breasts. Buffy whimpered at that and restrained the very unladylike impulse to drag his hands back up and to tell him exactly where to put them.  
  
Then his hands dropped to her bared knees and smoothed their way up her thighs, actually making darts under the material of her skirt, which had bunched up to almost nothing and was almost showing her panties, or not.  
  
Buffy froze, in the panic of getting dressed so fast she had not only not dressed suitably for a sewer jaunt, she was also underwear less! The top was double-lined and designed to be worn without a bra but a smallish denim skirt really wasn't something you wanted to wear without panties, not with your legs spread wide across your boyfriends lap as you sprawled on his basement floor anyway!  
  
Angel felt Buffy freeze and promptly stilled his hands with a sigh, it seemed that the invisible barrier had inadvertently been pushed a little too hard.  
  
"I'm sorry Buffy, I didn't want to push you or anything."  
  
Buffy shook her head quickly, she couldn't have him thinking he'd done something wrong or he'd retreat into his shell for days.  
  
"What then? Sweetheart, tell me."  
  
She gulped and then began to giggle, it was pretty funny really now she thought about it and didn't have to worry that he was going to rumple her skirt up to the point of real embarrassment.  
  
"Buffy?"  
  
Buffy managed to control herself and recalled that girls in magazines she had read sometimes deliberately left their underwear at home when they wanted to seduce. Managing not to smirk she raised her twinkling hazel eyes to Angel's worried brown ones. "Well, you kind of had your hands here," she demonstrated, taking the opportunity to tug her skirt down an inch or two, "and I kind of forgot to put my panties on when I was in such a rush to get ready earlier and I figured that if you moved another inch you'd find that out for yourself!"  
  
Angel just stared at her, which prompted Buffy to return to being embarrassed about the whole thing.  
  
"I just, I mean, well this isn't exactly the perfect place and I don't really um, well I wasn't trying to make you do something, I uh-" she gave up trying to explain and buried her glowing face against his chest and plopped down into his lap, scrunching herself against him so he couldn't see her face.  
  
It was Angel's turn to freeze as Buffy slowly sat up and looked at him.  
  
"Well, now you know why you were kneeling up." He managed with a faint grin, as she stared at him, "I'm sorry but it's not like I have a lot of control over that part of me."  
  
Buffy smiled back, "even before I told you I was minus a vital item of clothing huh?"  
  
Angel grinned a little lopsidedly, "I'm trying not to even think about that as it leads to other thoughts that you probably don't want to know about."  
  
Buffy wriggled against him, "Yes I do, tell me."  
  
"Can't this wait until we're somewhere else and you're wearing underwear?" Angel begged as Buffy smiled wickedly at him.  
  
Buffy was about to reply but at that moment they heard the rasp of one of three bolts being drawn back and they both rocketed to their feet. Angel tried to pretend he hadn't seen up Buffy's skirt and Buffy tried to pretend she hadn't seen the bulge in Angel's pants but the speed and abandon with which they got to their feet in an attempt to look innocent for their friends had revealed what each had tried to hide.  
  
Wesley swung the door open and looked suspiciously from one to the other.  
  
Buffy and Angel both braced themselves for an inquisition on their state of dishevelment and lateness but it didn't come.  
  
"Why on earth did you come through the tunnels? There's no daylight to fry you at the moment Angel." Demanded Wes.  
  
"Well, I felt that Merlin smelt worse than the sewers so we came this way instead of being trapped in his car." Buffy hastily told him.  
  
"Yeah Buffy told him we were still worried that the sun might re-appear by itself and kill me so we could get away."  
  
"Ah, I see. Yes, he really does smell rather appalling doesn't he?"  
  
"I quite agree Wes, now lets get to business." Angel said determinedly as he strode to the door pushing Buffy along in front of him.  
  
When the three of them entered the library a minute later Merlin was already ensconced in a comfortable chair with the inevitable bottle of beer clutched in his hand. The rest of the occupants of the room milled around at a safe distance.  
  
"No Doyle or Cordelia yet?" asked Angel.  
  
"Nada." Gunn responded, "I called them a couple more times but they still aint answering. Probably still humping like-" he glanced at Anya.  
  
"Crazy monkeys." Supplied Xander quickly, grateful that Gunn hadn't mentioned Bunnies. "Yeah, what the dude said." Agreed Gunn with a nod.  
  
"You don't have time to go and get them either Honey bun." Lorne chipped in from his seat beside Giles, to whom he seemed to have taken a shine. "Besides, it's just you and Goldilocks here that are compulsory to this prophecy, the rest of these charmers would just be a bonus."  
  
"Well, I like my bonuses," Buffy said with a grin, "If they're willing to come then they can."  
  
"Count me in." Xander said quickly as Anya nodded in agreement.  
  
Gunn, Giles and Wesley also nodded in agreement. "Me too." Added Fred shyly.  
  
"Uh guys, I think maybe Oz and I should stay what with it being wolfie time and all."  
  
"Of course," Buffy agreed instantly.  
  
"Well Merlin, when do we go and how do we go?"  
  
"I will need a few moments to prepare so I suggest that you gather together any clothing, weapons or other belongings that you wish to take along."  
  
There was a hasty burst of activity, especially from Buffy who raced to her room in a blur looking for her trusty leather trousers.  
  
Ten minutes later almost everyone was re-assembled, suitably attired and clutching provisions and weaponry  
  
Merlin shuffled to his feet and picked up a thin and badly stained ordinary looking leather volume. "I need everyone within close proximity of each other, not necessarily touching but close. Then I say a few words from this book, the gateways open and you all pass through. All those who don't wish to go along step right back out of the way."  
  
Willow, Oz and Lorne made some hasty goodbyes and promptly moved themselves back against the bookcases several yards from everyone else.  
  
Merlin seemed satisfied with this arrangement and began scrabbling through the junk in his pockets, before he pulled out what looked like a very dirty handkerchief, "Right then, one of you needs to carry this talisman at all times, I'm giving you five days to sort everything out and then I will do a locating spell and perform the spell to bring you all back here. This means the one carrying the talisman must ensure that exactly five days from now you are all grouped together as you are now so I can bring you all home. Anyone too far away will not be brought back. Is that clear?"  
  
"Scarily so." Moaned Xander under his breath, "What if we get stuck there and they don't have cable?"  
  
"I elect Giles as talisman man," Buffy spoke up suddenly, "He's responsible, can take care of himself and isn't likely to lose it."  
  
"But surely you or Angel would be the better choice?" asked Willow from her safe distance. "I mean, you could protect it better, no offense Giles."  
  
"None taken." He murmured.  
  
"Yeah, but all it takes is for one of us to be carrying it and to get slammed around one too many times and drop it or something." Buffy protested, "I lose lots of important stuff, I mean I lost my favourite hairclip for ages, Willow had to find it in the end!"  
  
"Yeah, but that's because you used it to bookmark your chemistry book Buff." Xander put in.  
  
Buffy's response was to poke her tongue out, "I still vote Giles," she said stubbornly.  
  
Giles stepped forward and accepted the bundle with distaste and tucked it carefully into his pocket and buttoned it up. "I'll take it for now at least."  
  
"Okay then, ready people?" Merlin asked with a marked lack of enthusiasm.  
  
Heads nodded, couples held hands, friends leaned on friends and Merlin began to chant.  
  
Bright bluish white light swirled around the room and concentrated near the trio standing back out of the way.  
  
"Uh-oh" muttered Xander as the lights turned purplish and intensified.  
  
Then it was too late to do anything and the world began to spin.  
  
They landed with a thud in a pitch black and damp place that smelled strongly of damp earth.  
  
"Hey, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore," squeaked Gunn in a mock feminine voice.  
  
"Hey that's my line," grumbled Xander. "And if it wasn't for Anya I'd retort with a very excellent impersonation of Alice in wonderland."  
  
"I have my ears covered," Anya said cheerfully, "Speak and regain your superiority."  
  
Which was all the encouragement Xander needed for a fully-fledged impression of Alice disappearing down the rabbit hole.  
  
"Do you mind?" grumbled Giles from nearby.  
  
"The enemy could be all around us," hissed Wes, poking Xander with an unloaded crossbow bolt, succeeding in making him jump violently.  
  
"Are we all here?" Angel demanded authoritatively as he tightly clutched Buffy's hand. The darkness was so intense that he could barely see Buffy let alone those further away."  
  
"Everybody is here." Oz said softly as he and Willow stumbled through the darkness to clutch Buffy's elbow.  
  
"I'm here too," added Lorne as he grabbed Angel's arm, "What a revolting dank place this is, eh?"  
  
Buffy sniffed suddenly, "Uh, Merlin?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm here too."  
  
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Yes, I know they were just a little bit out of character at certain times - but it was fun! 


	9. The road not taken

Cordelia snuggled a bit closer to her boyfriend and rearranged the tangled mass of hair that foamed around her shoulders. She really would have to get up in a moment and do something about that before Doyle woke up. Sure he'd seen her looking trashed before but there was no reason to let it happen if she could avoid it. Besides a cup of coffee seemed very appealing right now. With a sigh Cordelia pressed a light kiss to her sleeping boyfriend's cheek and slid out of bed.  
  
Cordelia was padding around the kitchen making successful coffee and less successful toast when Doyle appeared in the doorway yawning, "Did you check the answer phone yet love?" he asked as he leaned over to steal one of the less carbonised pieces of toast.  
  
Cordelia automatically smacked his hand and fed more bread into the toaster for herself. "Not yet why?"  
  
"I thought I heard the phone ring earlier when we were, ahem busy. Thought they might've left a message."  
  
Cordelia scrunched her face up and headed for the phone, which sure enough was winking its red light. "Ugh, probably just Angel wanting us to go and help him leaf through musty books and kill gross things tonight. Couldn't Buffy kind of fill in for us two for a little while?"  
  
Doyle shrugged and managed to rescue two pieces of rapidly darkening toast, "Have a listen and find out."  
  
Gunn's voice filled the room, "Listen up Cordy, if you're there pick up the phone. Please, c'mon pick up, it's important."  
  
The message ended and the next one rolled, it was Gunn again, "Look I'm sorry to interrupt people but we need you here, if you check out of your window you might figure why, this is an end of the worlder guys, so get here." He rang off.  
  
As Doyle shuffled to the window to draw the curtains message number three played, and that was Gunn again, "Will you guys please get your asses here now! There is some major shit going down soon and you being here would be a damn good thing." There was some background murmuring before Gunn came back on, "We're leaving now so I don't have time to explain but Willow, Oz and probably Lorne will be at the Hyperion and can fill ya in on the deal. Hope I'll see ya later." The message ended and the phone was silent.  
  
Cordelia stood frozen but Doyle gently twitched back the curtains and stared. "Oh, Delia, this really ain't good."  
  
Cordelia joined him staring out into the darkness, "Uh? How?"  
  
"Good question, let's ask."  
  
Cordelia speedily dialled the Hyperion's number and listened to it ring. Nobody picked it up. Whereupon Doyle and Cordelia abandoned their semi- burnt snack and hurried to dress, fifteen minutes later they were tearing down the steps outside Cordelia's apartment.  
  
As they hurried through the dimly lit streets that led to the Hyperion they saw almost as many demons as humans, clearly taking advantage of the night like late afternoon and the humans that were trying to carry on as usual. Doyle found himself defending an elderly woman from a vampire while Cordelia sneaked up on it and staked it, the elderly woman then proceeded to thump him with her grocery bag until Cordelia grabbed his hand and they both took off at a jog.  
  
They were almost at the Hyperion when they finally slowed back to a walk and Doyle took the opportunity to massage his bruised jaw. "Who'da thought it that a little old lady would have a swing like that?"  
  
Cordelia just chuckled and walked ahead of him to the Hyperion doors.  
  
"Hello? Guys? We're here, a little late admittedly but we are here, now what's the deal?" she called.  
  
"Hello?" Doyle added.  
  
"Hey where are you people," Cordelia grumbled as she wandered towards Angel's office.  
  
"Willow? Lorne? Oz? Anybody?" Doyle bellowed as he moved towards the library.  
  
He paused in the library doorway and surveyed the scene of devastation before he rushed in, checking for survivors, a clue, something, anything.  
  
There was no-one in the room he realized quickly, "Cordy!"  
  
There was a swift clicking of high heels and Cordelia burst into the room. "Ohmigod! How did this happen?" she screeched as her gaze swept over the chairs lying on the floor and books and papers scattered haphazardly everywhere, with a few smashed mugs joining the mess.  
  
"You don't think this was just a really wild research party do you?" she asked hopefully.  
  
Doyle shook his head.  
  
"So, now what? What do we do?"  
  
"I'd say we have a look at what they were researching, that might give us a clue, but first I think we should check the Hyperion to make sure it really is empty."  
  
They swiftly searched the Hyperion and were forced to conclude that they really were on their own.  
  
"Gunn did say something about going someplace." Cordelia remembered hopefully.  
  
"Yeah, and he also said they were leaving a few people behind."  
  
"Point taken. I guess we research now. God, why didn't we take that call? We might have had a clue about whatever happened here."  
  
"But we didn't so lets not go down that road."  
  
"I guess."  
  
"So, we research."  
  
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Sorry, that wasn't a very exciting chapter but it had to happen.  
  
More from the rest of the team will be coming soon. 


	10. Over the Edge

I know, I know. It's been a while since my last update. Bad Mad Kat! I'm really sorry for the gaps between postings but there really doesn't seem to be enough time for everything at the moment. Thank you to the people who have reviewed and not given up on me yet!  
  
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"Okay everyone," Angel said softly, "lets all grab hold of each other so we don't lose anybody, then we can try and find out what's going on."  
  
There was some shuffling and grunting but eventually everybody was gathered into a tight circle, clutching hands or linking arms. Buffy wondered who ended up with Merlin's hand but as she had a hold on Angel and Willow there would be no complaining from her.  
  
"Okay, all arranged now?" Wes boomed from nearby in the darkness just off to her left; he and Angel must be linking digits. Buffy grinned, wishing very much that she could see these two kick-ass cool PI guys clutching each other's hands like kindergarteners.  
  
"Yeah, when do we do the Hokey Kokey already?" Xander snickered.  
  
"Do be quiet Xander," Giles mumbled, sounding as if he had a cold.  
  
Buffy grinned, partly at Xander's unfailing ability to goof around and partly at poor Giles - now she knew who got Merlin!  
  
"Okay, so where do we go from here?" Fred spoke up suddenly.  
  
"All in one direction I guess." Buffy supplied helpfully.  
  
"Any take on which way?" Gunn wanted to know.  
  
"Yeah, because getting somewhere soon could be a plan," Oz murmured, "I don't know if it's the full moon time here too, but I'd rather not risk it."  
  
There were murmurs of assent from around the circle and Buffy squeezed Willow's hand sympathetically.  
  
Wesley cleared his throat and spoke up, "Unless I'm imagining the lack of stars and general stillness of the air I'm thinking we're in a cavern of some kind and I think I felt a faint breeze from that direction." He paused and Buffy sensed rather than saw him craning his neck, before he continued, "And does anyone else think that it is slightly less dark off to my far left?"  
  
"Now you mention it yeah, very slightly." Angel agreed, "Okay everybody, lets go."  
  
Buffy felt the faint tug at her wrist as Angel began to move and began to drift in the same direction, stumbling a little as she did so, on the rough rocky ground. To judge by the scuffling and grunting that was going on around her she wasn't the only one finding it a little hard going. How Wes and Angel had managed to differentiate between the pitch black and charcoal grey qualities of light she couldn't quite fathom but now they were closer it did look as if they were right.  
  
As they walked towards the very faint light walls narrowed in around them and the circle led by Wes and Angel was forced to become an oval and then finally a single line shuffling sideways, Buffy smiled as she heard Xander quietly start singing 'Walk like an Egyptian' and was entertained as Lorne and Fred joined in un-reprimanded. It seemed that Wes and Giles had given up on trying to hush people. When the tunnel got almost too narrow - for the larger guys at least, the light began to brighten and Buffy could now see the faint, shadowy shapes of her friends again.  
  
Up ahead it was clear the tunnel was ending and leading out into the clearer darkness outside. Buffy smiled in relief, it wasn't like she was scared of the dark or anything, it was just that she preferred to be able to see - anything at all. Then she was yanked forward and crashed to her knees before falling flat on her face with her left arm grinding almost out of it's socket, Angel's right hand straining in hers. Buffy gripped it tightly wondering what the hell was happening as the rest of the crew crashed to the ground on top of her and around her.  
  
She heard Willow squeak painfully and realised she hadn't released Willow's hand when she fell and was responsible for yanking her down too. Hastily she let go and concentrated on holding Angel, she watched as the shadowy image of Gunn scrambled around her and knelt beside the figure of her boyfriend, as he lay sprawled on the floor too. Buffy gulped, actually she could only see Angel's legs and backside, and besides the arm she held the top part of him seemed to be over a cliff.  
  
And Wes was not in sight.  
  
Buffy found her voice quickly, many years of making snap life or death decisions helped with that bossy streak, "Gunn, grab Angel's legs, make sure he doesn't slip any further, then I can let go of him and pull Wes up."  
  
Gunn was sitting on Angel legs in an instant.  
  
Buffy crawled over the two of them and hung her head and shoulders over the cliff, hoping that that would be far enough, as once she had more of her own body weight over the cliff than on it she would be in the same boat as Angel - Able to hold on, but not able to pull up.  
  
"Hey Wes, let go of Angel with one hand, swing up and grab me. Okay?"  
  
"Alright." Wes agreed, sounding remarkably calm for a man dangling over a cliff edge of indeterminate height.  
  
Buffy extended her arms as far as she could and braced herself, when Wes managed to wrap a hand around her wrist at the first attempt she was impressed. Clearly the bookish Brit was more powerful than she gave him credit for. As she shuffled backward clutching Wes tightly she realised that if it wasn't for the worn smoothness of the rock they were on Wes probably could have dragged himself back up.  
  
Then Wes had his elbows on firm rock and was wriggling his own way up. "Well, that was rather thrilling," he managed to gasp out as he flopped up onto the rock, his feet still dangling over the edge.  
  
Buffy accepted Angel's offered hand to pull her to her feet and somehow managed to snuggle her arms around him despite the tiny space as the rest of the gang crowded up behind demanding to know if everyone was okay.  
  
"Fine, fine thank you" Wesley murmured picking himself up, "there seemed to be some kind of narrow rock pathway out there but when I stepped on it a chunk broke off and I became airborne." He explained defensively, "most of the path is still there, we might be able to make it."  
  
"Personally, I'm not fond of the word might." Quipped Xander, "Too uncertain for my liking, whenever someone tells me we might make it, what they really mean is we won't but they're trying not to make you panic so they don't have to deal with you when you panic."  
  
"No, man there really is a path and it looks solid, it's just a well worn little bit right at the mouth of the cave that broke off." Gunn interrupted as he dangled out of the cave, his head poked out and squinting downwards.  
  
"Ohh, then forget I said anything."  
  
Wes nodded and moved to the edge, "well, shall I try that again?"  
  
Buffy stretched up and pressed a kiss to Angel's mouth before letting go and moving to stand beside Wes, "And I'm right behind you ready to catch." She informed him.  
  
"Probably a good idea," agreed Angel.  
  
Wes nodded and swung out of the cave, this time the tiny pathway down held and one by one the gang shuffled out onto the ledge and began inching their way down. 


End file.
